ASICS is an athletic equipment company from Japan founded in 1949 by Kihachiro Onitsuka who started making basketball shoes in Kobe, Japan. Today, the company is a leading manufacturer of footwear for various sports activities, but is mostly known for being one of the makers of the best running shoes. ASICS is known for their distinctive mark, Mexico 66, a design with distinctive crossed stripes. The word ASICS is Latin for "anima sana in corpore sano," which translates to "sound mind in a sound body." Today, the company is a major sponsor for several sports teams in Japan.